Best Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

With its very generous aperture of f / 1.2, the new M Zuiko Digital ED 25 mm PRO has a good size: no less than 410 g on the scale. It incorporates an ambitious optical formula of 19 lenses, only one of which comes to life during development to optimize its speed of execution, as well as a Z Coating Nano treatment which should make it possible to reduce the effects of flare and ghosting . The opening is left to a 9-plate diaphragm, and the construction of the lens gives it weather resistance. This new 25mm will naturally compete with the f / 1.4 version signed by Panasonic .

Best Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 25 mm f / 1.2 PRO Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO Lens, for Micro Four Thirds Cameras

2. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4.0 PRO Lens Black, for Micro Four Thirds Cameras

3. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro Lens, for Micro Four Thirds Cameras

4. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75 to 300mm II F4.8-6.7 Zoom Lens, for Micro Four Thirds Cameras

5. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO Lens, for Micro Four Thirds Cameras

Almost nothing to complain about.

First observation, this fixed focal length is impressive! Count a little more than 400 g on the scale and almost 9 cm long (without the sun visor). Mounted on a case of the caliber of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II , it throws. However, to balance the whole, it is better to use the case with a grip.

This Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED has a metal construction. It benefits from internal tuning, which is good for two reasons. The first is that the lens is all the more impermeable to humidity and dust (it also has good protection in this area); the second is that its size does not vary as a function of the focusing distance. We can even add that the front lens remains fixed, which is a “plus” if we use a polarizing filter.

The design is like the M.Zuiko Pro range. The objective is therefore very “technical”, with the information of rigor on the periphery of the front lens and even the presence of an abacus of depth of field. On the side, we find the traditional programmable L-Fn key, always as soft to use.

The manual focus ring is wide and comfortable. Olympus once again reused the tilt system from manual focus to autofocus by operating the entire ring. In manual position, focus marks appear. The race is limited and has real stops. The friction is perfect: neither too hard nor too flexible.

Very sharp, but lacking in consistency.

We tested the Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 25 mm PRO with a Panasonic Lumix GX8 and its 20 Mpx Micro 4/3 sensor.

The notion of dive is quite delicate to deal with. This is what we can assimilate to the “feeling of sharpness” and / or to the “precision” that we observe on an image. It can be very different from one lens to another, from one focal to another and from one aperture to another. It can also vary between the center and the edges of the image. We usually say that the sharpness is optimal in the center and at the average openings: f / 8 or f / 11 for example.

In addition, the sharpness will depend on the definition of the sensor of your device (20 MP for the GX8) and the size of its sensor (Micro 4/3 for the GX8). The smaller the pixels, the more the system will show its limits due to diffraction. This phenomenon increases as you close the lens diaphragm. The GX8 has a definition of 5,200 x 3,904 px. Each pixel therefore measures 3.3 µm side. The minimum aperture recommended to avoid diffraction problems is therefore f / 8 – f / 11!

This 25mm is doing very well in the lab. The lens delivers very sharp images, especially in the center. Its behavior is fairly consistent, with a sharpness which increases as the diaphragm is closed – there is a fairly clear difference between f / 1.4 and f / 2 – and the non-homogeneity defects between the center and the edges of dwindling images. It is between f / 2 and f / 5.6 that the lens delivers the best of itself. 

At these openings, the sharpness in the center is very high and constant. After f / 5.6, it relapses quite suddenly. It’s a bit “early” to put this on the spot. At the largest openings, the dive in the center is clearly shrunk. Whatever the opening, the lens suffers from a fairly strong lack of homogeneity between the center

The focal

A focal length corresponds to an angle of field – or viewing angle – covered by the camera equipped with the lens. The larger the focal length, the smaller the field of view: we speak of long focal length. Conversely, the shorter the focal length, the wider the field angle: we speak of wide-angle.

Here is what you get with the Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 25mm mounted on the Lumix GX8 equipped with a Micro 4/3 sensor. This focal length is a great classic: a kind of Swiss knife capable of doing both landscape or portrait as well as street photography. It is a 50 mm equivalent (conversion coefficient of 2x).

The vignetting

All the lenses give an image whose periphery, and particularly the corners, are darker. The vignetting is measured in IL (Lumination Index): the value indicated measures the difference, in IL, between the amount of light received by the edges and that received in the center.

The vignetting is very discreet. It is mainly felt at the largest openings. From f / 2, it becomes negligible.

Bokeh

The bokeh is to be related to the depth of field. We can compare it to the “quality” of the blur or to the way in which the objective goes from the net to the blur – a very subjective notion, even if certain elements make it possible to predict things – on images with shallow depth of field. It depends on many parameters including mainly the design of the lens, the shape and size of the diaphragm.

Of course, the possibilities of playing with the depth of field are quite limited on a Micro 4/3 system, moreover with a rather short focal length. Anyway, thanks to the very generous maximum aperture of f / 1.2, it is quite possible to detach your subject from the background and get a nice bokeh effect. As much as possible, try to work with a relatively short focusing distance and compose so that the background is as far as possible from the subject.

Verdict

This Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED is a real good surprise for users of Micro 4/3 hybrid cameras, both at Olympus and Panasonic. It is the second fixed focal current to offer a very generous maximum aperture of f / 1.2. Indeed, Panasonic already has in its catalog a 42.5 mm signed Leica also opening at f / 1.2, and intended mainly for portraiture. 

Here, the 25mm focal length (equivalent to a 50mm) is much more versatile. The very large aperture of f / 1.2 is a plus for taking photos in low light conditions, although on this point, the 5-axis stabilizations of the last high-end cameras concerned do their job very well. No, this opening of f / 1.2 is more designed to play with the depth of field and obtain very marked bokeh effects (one of the weak points of the boxes with “small” sensors). Thanks to this 25 mm f / 1.2, it is therefore quite possible to obtain photographs highlighting a main subject drowned in a beautiful blur of the background.

More

The Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 25 mm PRO is a very good lens. It has an excellent quality of manufacture and a very pleasant grip which are unequivocally worth its reference PRO. Everything is not yet perfect, but the possible improvements (and necessary for the future) are beginning to point out small details. From an optical point of view, this lens delivers very high quality images with a very high level of sharpness, particularly in the center, even from the largest apertures. We only deplore a somewhat abrupt general behavior and a lack of homogeneity between the center and the edges of the images. However, we appreciate the very low distortions and the good management of the vignetting, which remains contained for such a bright objective. We will without apologies the

We therefore recommend without any hesitation this lens, which will take a place of honor in the bag of photographers equipped with Micro 4/3.

STRONG POINTS

  • Very bright aperture f / 1.2
  • Design, build quality and handling
  • General optical quality
  • Very high dive (mainly in the center)
  • Low distortions
  • Vignetting content

WEAK POINTS

  • Weight and size
  • General behavior of the optics a little abrupt
  • Lack of homogeneity between the center and the edges

CONCLUSION

The Olympus M Zuiko Digital ED 25 mm PRO is a superb versatile and ultra-bright fixed focal length. It will be very easy to get beautiful depth of field effects, even with a Micro 4/3 hybrid. The lens provides excellent image quality and has a very good, professional grip. It is recommended without any hesitation.

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